Wigan pensioners missing out on benefits

Some pensioners are struggling with online applications for benefits, a charity says

There were 11,538 retirees claiming council tax support in the borough in the three months to December 2018, official figures show: a 15 per cent drop of 2,061 from the same period in 2015.

Turn2us, a charity which helps people in financial hardship, said cash-strapped councils were opting to move services online, which is impacting older people.

Campaigns manager Matthew Greer said: “We speak to thousands of people each week through our helpline, many of whom are pensioners, struggling to navigate a complex and increasingly ‘digital-first’ welfare system. The fact that so many are now not receiving the correct support for council tax is unfair. People who are already struggling to get by end up being sucked further into poverty.”

Low-income households in England can apply for a discount on their tax under the Council Tax Reduction Scheme which replaced the nationally-administered Council Tax Benefit in 2013, giving individual local authorities the power to decide who is eligible for support and what discounts to offer.

Some people who receive pension credit to top up their income may be fully exempt from council tax. Others may get a discount if they have less than £16,000 in assets, but the amount varies dependant on income.

The Government says it has protected pensioners and that they continue to receive the same level of support as under the previous system. But there are now 245,000 (13 per cent) fewer claiming support in England compared to three years ago.

Age UK’s Caroline Abrahams said: “It is shameful that despite millions of older people struggling financially, at least £3bn in social security benefits remains unclaimed every year when this extra income could make a huge difference to their lives.”

Fewer working-age Wigan people are also claiming council tax support although their numbers have fallen less sharply than pensioners’. Between October and December, 15,945 working-age people claimed a council tax discount, down from 16,812 in 2015 – a drop of five per cent.

Local Government Minister Rishi Sunak said councils were best placed to make decisions about the appropriate level of support to provide in their area. He added: “We have given councils access to £46.4bn this year to allow them to meet the needs of their residents.”